A bonus sermon I heard over the holidays has me heading into the New Year fueled by delight. Pastor Aaron Stern spoke to a small congregation gathered in Pauline Chapel in Colorado Springs about the importance of spending time daily, quietly, in the presence of God. We’ve always known that it’s good for us, in fact delights us, to dedicate time seeking God through His word, through prayer, and through listening for Him to speak. (See The Quiet Time Cat.)
But Pastor Stern said something that resonated with me in a new way. He reminded us that it also delights God when we spend time with Him! So after our morning quiet time we can go into our day fueled not just by our delight in God, but by God’s delight in us. Wow.
A wonderful Bible promise is found in Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. We find delight in Him. Yet one of my favorite Bible verses is Zephaniah 3:17: The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. That’s how much He delights in us. A two-way relationship of delight is the gift that is ours for the asking.
Given all this, I choose DELIGHT as my word for 2022. With the Lord as my guide, I will pay attention to the ways I can seek Him and delight in Him. And I will try not to miss any opportunity to experience and receive His delight in me. In the past it’s been during the most menial acts of service that I felt God’s pleasure most. I want to look for opportunities to feel, and receive, His pleasure and delight more often.
I realize it may be hard to hold on to delight in 2022. Certainly it was in the two preceding years. Ongoing threats to freedom of speech and election integrity in our country pierced my patriot heart. A pandemic, concerning enough in its organic state, was manipulated in destructive ways and continues to be. And most heartbreaking of all was the loss of our grandson. (See Love Like Josh.)
So how can we move forward to all the unknowns of the year to come with delight? We look for the good, and yes, there will be some. We accept the peace that the Lord offers as He speaks to us through the moments of delight He gives, like the ones He gave me one memorable afternoon at the beach with two great grandsons. We delight ourselves in Him, and believe, with all our hearts, that He also delights in us. Have a delightful New Year.
Nice seeing your comment on Aaron. He is a great speaker and Jossie (his wife) is a delight we all knew as our children were in their youth. So quickly those precious moments pass. It is critical that we take the time to love those around us and teach them to pray and gain the connection with Jesus when they are young and open to the love of God. It fleets bye. Our sermon in church was also about prayer and the importance of praying as a husband and wife together. Much as we did when we taught our children to pray “the Lord’s Prayer”.Opportunities abound if we must take the time to use our time wisely.
Agree with all you said, Cheryl! It was great to see Aaron and Jossie and their boys. I was glad she texted me that he would be speaking. Have a good new year!
Thanks for that good reminder! I have been reading a book along that line and would recommend it. Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund. ( Crossway: 2020)
Thanks for reading my blog, Jane! What a nice surprise. I shall put that book recommendation on my list. Thank you.
I am still looking for my word…abide was such a good one last year! Thanks for the encouragement!
You bet, Jimmie. Your word will find YOU. Just keep listening.
Nancy, I love your delightful word for 2022. THANK YOU for this uplifting reminder that our time with the Lord—throughout the day—is a two-way relationship designed to bring us both joy and delight. Thanks for being such a delight in my life!
Same to you, my friend. And thanks for this encouragement.
2022 is the year to take time to listen to God. Through prayer, his word and quiet time spent just listening. Thank you for your timely reminder in the midst of a tumultuous year.
You are so welcome, huzzband. Thanks for walking with me through each day of the year to come, whatever it brings us.
Nancy glad to see you are writing again. The importance of the discipline of daily use of our prayer closet is critical.
Thank you, Ronnie. And amen to your comment. Now more than ever.
Thank you for that sweet reminder! I know the days that I don’t take that time (vs the days that I do), I lack peace and joy. Love and appreciate you my delightful friend!
Same to you, Gay Hope. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Absolutely loved this! It’s mind-blowing to think we (I) can be a delight to God! I agree that delight is the perfect word for 2022.
Good! Maybe you can remind me of that as the year goes by. Thanks for commenting.
First my hard drive decided it was too tired to work. Then someone cut a wire that caused a wide-spread loss of the internet. I’m finally catching up with my emails. How often do we give thought to how God feels when we approach Him? He’s GOD! Why should He have any emotion, other than disgust, when all we do is ask, tell, tell, ask? God, in the form of Jesus, did not completely lose His deity when He came to earth. I choose to believe that He did not completely lose his humanness when He returned to Heaven. So, let’s continue to see Him as a tiny bit human–just enough to feel delight when we approach Him in praise, not only ask, tell, tell, ask!
Good grief, Peggy, I’m sorry to hear of your computer woes. You of all people need to be connected! Thank you for commenting and for your encouraging, wise words.
Thank you for this. It was uplifting. Colorado must be filled with uplifting people. Our new pastor is from Loveland. God’s blessings to you Nancy.
Thank you, Harold, and God’s blessings to you as well.
Thank you, Nancy!!
Suzanne Surber Underwood
Thank you, Suzanne!
Such a lovely (and important) post, dear friend! I miss you!!
Thank you, Gail! Miss you too. Hope all is well in OK!
that writing was Delightful! Thank you!